A trip to Europe

I'm in the planning stages of a trip to Europe next year. I've always
wanted to do the West coast from John O'Groats to Gibraltar (via
Ireland,) hitting as many beaches and surf spots as possible. Lately
though, another way to do it occurred to me. I've started a
spreadsheet listing places and things to do. So far, some stuff on the
list are the Ace cafe, the Isle of Man races, Edinburgh Fringe Fest,
Tour de France, and so on. It could be a challenge, zig-zagging across
the continent to get to events, and some things won't be possible of
course. (For ex., Intermot isn't until November and Documenta isn't on
this year.) I have John Hermann's book - Motorcycle Journeys Through
the Alps, and Southern Italy, Corsica, Berlin, and Scandinavia all
have their attractions. Who knows how far I can go while the weather
is good and the money lasts?

It seems a tossup between buying a bike in Europe and selling it when
I leave, or shipping a bike over from California. I haven't decided
what bike I'll want, but a VStrom1000 is high on the list. Mebbe a
KTM990 or ? There is also the option of leaving it in Europe for
another time. I've found a couple of good resources:
www.AbleCargo.com is only a few miles from me and they ship bikes to
Europe.
www.Knopftours.com has US titled bikes for sale in Germany and will
store bikes.

I'm open to any suggestions.

 

Start with figuring out if you can get suitable insurance for either scenario.

 

After seeing the shit hole that Gib is, go round the corner to Tarifa.
Much nicer place.

Delete the spread sheet now !

Hmm, so you will go the IOM and sit around a few months waiting for the
Fringe, after having past Edinburgh going from John O'Groats

Yes, very

Well, weather is a pot shot and money disappears fast over here

Depends on how long you will be over for.

I used James Cargo to fly to New York in 2007 for a 3 month US trip.
That cost 1000ukp (one way). Quote for this year was 1300ukp.
http://www.jamescargo.com/

Go have a look at Horizons Unlimited http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/

The longer you are away, the cheaper it is to have your own

My little trip
http://www.ytc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/USA2007/USA2007.pdf

Ah, boat, *do no* use a sea route for your outgoing journey. There are
many tales ofpeople hanging around for weeks for the bike to arrive,
when it had not even left the port due to container not being full.

Fly out , ship back.

You can fly your bike on the same day as yourself.

DYTIUTA ?

 

What he said, in spades. Someone shipped a 911 over from the US for some
classic long-distance rallye. They got to wave the other drivers bye-bye
and I don't think the 911 has put in an appearance yet. It's been
supposed to turn up any day now for quite a few days, if not weeks.

 

Are you recommending a stop-over in Portsmouth?
http://www.mocospace.com/dytiuta

 

We did this in reverse, in the US, decades ago. Asked someone in the US
to host us and we'd do vice versa. It worked. We're still friends, over
20 years later

If you make it to London, I'll lend you a bike and show you some fun
time. Promise.

 

None, really, but if you make it to Luxembourg, up for a ride and a
drink...

cu
.\\arc

 

Yep, the 2 week to ship from NY to Liverpool, which didn't go to
Liverpool but London instead took 6 weeks.

 

At least wait until he has answered the DYTIUTA query

 

Quite the adventure, it would seem!

 

Here is a 108 page PDF listing auto and motorcycle museums around the world.
My last trip to Europe centered around visiting vehicle and tech museums, as
i have done the castles and battlefields thing before.

http://www.fiaheritage.com/documents/museums.pdf

 

I don't have any suggestions but it sounds like an amazing journey and
I am jealous.

Take lots of pictures.

 

Hey, it's just a list. I have no obligation to follow it. But with my
geezer brain, I might forget that there's a bikini contest next week
in Cannes.

That's why the calendar - to see that I could be hanging out at the
Palermo pizza fest in the meantime.

I think prolly 2-4 months.

I'd heard that, but the senility again... Thanks for reminding me.

Say what? If that means what I think it means, you sir, are a rude
bastard. Especially when I read your sig and think you just might be a
proud Brit. But then it occurs to me you could still be on topic, in
which case I should explain - my ST1300 has a comfy saddle. Any
motorcycle I ride will have to be comfy enough for several all-day
rides in a row. I have no time or patience for sore butts.

FWIW, I lived in Berlin for 4 years, London for 6 months, and Norway
for 4 months, but that was all >30 years ago. I had a BSA Thunderbolt
for a while back then.

 

Thanks. I have the feeling this trip will entail bopping around the
countryside for a few days, then absorbing a bit of city culture,
rinse & repeat often.

 

Wait 'till you see the next one
(10 months to go and counting...)

 

I find that over planning can get tedious, try not to plan too much, but
have ideas of what you would like to do.

We only went to Sturgis because we realised one day it fitted in with
our general plans.

Fly your own over then. Unless it is a HD as there are more bends over
here

(Ok, you do have some nice bendy roads, and I think I found most of them
)

Try and find an agent that does the crating for you, saves taking the
wheels off etc. We were able to un-crate at JFK and ride out.

You asked for suggestions, it would have been rude not to enguire

Norway... cool... I love Norway, Scotland on steroids .

 

But if he insists on going there, best avoid wearing a yellow and red
striped swimming cozzy.

 

heh

 

It is indeed, a right **** to park though.

Why?

 

Read the news. Grep for gibraltar.